u/shaadowpursuit

Hi all, I currently work as a Trading Assistant at a Sainsbury's Local branch, on a part-time contract plus regular overtime. I'm looking to increase my overall hours over the next few months and I'm wondering if it's possible to take on a second, separate contract as a Trading Assistant at a different Sainsbury's branch? Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's actually done this or knows the internal process. Thanks!

Hey all, quick question. I checked the "Additional Stores" section under My Preferences on the Kronos/UKG portal and noticed my manager added two extra stores to my profile that I didn't request myself. My primary store is unchanged, but now I'm listed as available at two other nearby locations too.

Is this a normal thing managers do, or should I be asking my manager directly why this was done? Just want to know if this is routine before I bring it up.

Thanks!

I posted this a year ago before leaving for my Master's. https://www.reddit.com/r/NepalAbroad/s/rYaSdRkU06

Here's what actually happened.

A year ago I wrote about standing at the bank paying my visa and insurance fees, feeling excited, scared and sad all at once about leaving Nepal. The visa came through eventually. I'm now genuinely mid way through it, dissertation deadline coming up, viva still ahead. So here's the honest update, no filter.

Being the only son, I thought I already knew what that responsibility felt like before I left. Turns out it weighs differently once you're actually far away. It's not just about making the right decision anymore, it's that constant awareness that you're the one they're relying on, and you're not even in the same country to show up when it actually matters. That part hits harder here than it ever did back home.

And then festivals hit different too. First time in over a quarter of a century that I didn't have a single family member next to me during a festival. We spend our whole childhood thinking adulthood is gonna be the best part of life, when honestly we were already living the best moments and just didn't know it. That specific pinch, sitting there during a festival with nobody around who actually knows you, that's not something you can prepare for no matter how many people warn you.

One thing I didn't expect. When I first came here and started looking for part time work, I actually stopped talking to my family as much as I used to. They'd ask how the job hunt was going and I was never good at lying, so it was easier to just go quiet for a while. Then at one job interview, completely unrelated to any of this, the guy interviewing me mentioned how he calls his mum every single day, morning to night, no matter what. That one comment changed something in me. Made me realise I was slowly cutting off the people who actually mattered while I was busy chasing all this. That first call of the day to your people, honestly nothing beats that. I try not to skip it now.

On the practical side, the job market fear was real, but it's a mixed bag too. I've changed part time jobs more than once just trying to get some stability, and on top of that there's the visa hour restriction thing which makes every shift a balancing act between rent, studies and staying within allowed hours. Still figuring it out is honestly the most accurate way to put it a year in. On the flip side, reaching out to industry professionals for my dissertation research actually opened a couple of doors, a few conversations turned into potential internship opportunities in my actual field. Nothing confirmed yet but it's a reminder that some good comes out of the chaos too. And not gonna lie, one week I braced myself for a certain pay based on my hours and ended up getting a bonus instead. Small thing, but it was a genuinely good day.

Nobody warns you about the flatshare survival game though. Finding a decent room in London that doesn't eat your entire loan was a mission on its own. And then the actual living situation, housemates who don't clean, don't flush properly, smoke enough that the neighbour actually came to complain, or just throw out food you cooked and kept in your tiffin because they "needed the space." Small things but they wear you down in a way nobody really prepares you for.

Money hits different when it's real too. There's this specific kind of anxiety that shows up the moment loan repayments start kicking in and you're checking your account before a shift, doing the math on whether 20 pounds gets you through to payday. It's not dramatic, it's just constant, like a background hum that never really switches off.

Was it worth it? Honestly, mixed feelings. I don't regret going. I've grown in ways I probably wouldn't have sitting at home, and I'm slowly starting to build the career I came here for. But I also miss the chai, the familiar streets, family around me, more than I thought I would. It's not some clean best decision of my life story. It's messier than that. Some days it feels like the right call, some days it just feels hard.

If you're standing where I was a year ago, bank receipt in hand, stomach in knots, I'm not gonna tell you it's all worth it or all a mistake. It's both, depending on the week.